Students participate in Monroe County disaster drill

Six students from the Byron-Bergen Emergency Response Team (BBERT) were invited to participate in the September 21 mass catastrophe drill in Monroe County.

Seniors Jessica Ariyaratnam, Michael Langdon and Brendan Lougheed and freshmen Trevor Laurie, Lauren Mullen and Kayleigh Puma accompanied faculty advisor Teri Henick to a planning meeting two days prior to the drill where they met key staff from Unity Health's Park Ridge Hospital. They toured the facility and were assigned roles for the disaster.

On Wednesday, the group returned to Park Ridge as "victims" of a chemical spill. They were processed during the drill through the Emergency Department and through Greece Ridge fire Department's decontamination tent. Following the simulation, students sat in on a debriefing session with hospital and medical staff, fire personnel and emergency management workers.

Students who served on the Emergency Response Team have been prepared to staff a Red Cross emergency shelter in times of need. They continually update their training through drills and tabletop exercises.

October 9, 2005